Power Automate or n8n: which should we pick?

If the work stays inside Microsoft 365, Power Automate is the shortest route and uses a licence you already hold. Once heavy integrations with outside systems appear, or volumes get high, n8n is more flexible and cheaper. We advise per process and are happy to run both side by side.

Is Power Automate included in our licence?

Basic use with the standard connectors is included in most Microsoft 365 business licences. Premium connectors, such as a direct link to a SQL database or your own API, need a separate licence. We map that out beforehand so there are no surprises.

What happens when a flow fails?

By default very little, and that is exactly the risk. So we always build in error handling: a failed run posts an alert to the right Teams channel, so somebody sees it the same day rather than a month later.

Tools & Technologies

Power Automate

Automation inside Microsoft 365, without adding another platform.

Automation

What is Power Automate?

Power Automate is Microsoft's automation engine. It connects Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Excel and hundreds of other services, and carries out the work someone would otherwise do by hand: requesting an approval, moving a file, copying data between systems.

For companies already running Microsoft 365 it is the shortest route to a first automation. Basic use is covered by the licence, the connectors to Microsoft services work without configuration, and approval steps simply appear in Teams and Outlook, where people already are.

We reach for Power Automate when the work stays inside the Microsoft ecosystem, and for n8n as soon as heavy integrations with systems outside it come into play. Often both run alongside each other, each doing what it is best at.

Key benefits of Power Automate

Basic use is included in most Microsoft 365 business licences
Deep integration with Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Excel and Dataverse
Approvals that appear in Teams and Outlook, with no separate tool
Hundreds of ready-made connectors to services outside Microsoft
Desktop automation for older software with no API
Central administration and logging, so you can see who ran what
Templates for common processes as a starting point

Our approach

How we deploy Power Automate

We start with the process, not the tool: which steps cost time, how often they happen, and what breaks when they go wrong. Then we build the flow, test it against real cases including the exceptions, and add error handling so a failed run becomes visible instead of staying silent. We document every flow, so your team can adjust it later without us.

Discuss your project

What we add

A choice between Power Automate and n8n based on your situation, not on habit
Flows that handle the exceptions, not just the happy path
An alert when a run fails, so nobody discovers it weeks later
Licence advice up front: premium connectors cost extra and you should hear that beforehand
Documentation and handover, so you can make small changes yourself

Real-world applications

What we build with Power Automate

Leave request with manager approval, handled entirely in Teams

Invoice arriving by email that files itself in the right SharePoint folder

Quote that creates a task for the project lead once it is signed

Weekly report that assembles itself from Excel and goes out on its own

Form submissions that reach HubSpot without anyone retyping them

Return on investment

What does Power Automate deliver?

A first set of flows around approvals and document handling usually pays for itself within a few months, because the time saved recurs daily and the licence is often already there. The biggest gain sits in processes that happen often and require little judgement.

Calculate your ROI

Measurable results

We define clear KPIs before every project and measure results after implementation. You always know what the tool delivers.

Common pitfalls

What goes wrong without guidance

We've seen these mistakes with Power Automate in practice. We help you avoid them from the start.

Premium connectors (to SQL or HTTP, for example) require an extra licence per user
Flows created under someone's personal account stop working when they leave
Without error handling a flow fails silently and nobody notices
At high volumes you hit execution limits, and n8n becomes cheaper

Integrations